Eduard of the Czech Republic had released a 1/35 scale photo etched (PE) upgrade designed for the Trumpeter SU-152 Late, kit #05568. This upgrade consists of two PE sheets packaged in a sturdy, cardboard-supported bag with a two-page instruction sheet.

I used Trumpeter’s SU-152 Early kit, #01571, for a few parts since I was already doing a review of it. There are only a couple differences between the early and late SU-152 and this kit would work on either quite well.

The model consists of 9 sprues of dark yellow plastic, 2 frets of PE, 6 vinyl tires, and a metal barrel. There are no decals.

The instructions are clearly drawn for the most part, and consist of twelve pages with thirteen steps, plus a parts map. There is also a color profile sheet.

The molding is crisp and free of flash, pin marks, and sink marks. The model is very well detailed and engineered, and the fit is extremely good throughout, except for the PE brackets for the splinter shield (more below).

The model consists of the gun and a towing limber. The gun may be built in the firing or towing position. The instructions call out options between the two. The towing arms on the gun can be left movable if you so desire.

A metal barrel is provided for about the middle 1/3 of the gun tube. A plastic alternative is also included. The gun breech may be shown open or closed. The gun tube also may be elevated.

The Stalingrad counteroffensive (Operation Uranus) showed the Red Army's urgent need for mobile heavy guns. The firepower of Soviet tanks, both motorized and with infantry units, was not sufficient to deal with German pillboxes and fortified buildings. In November, 1942, the development of a heavy self-propelled gun armed with 152.4mm ML-20 gun-howitzer was begun as project name KV-14, and the first prototype, Object 236, was completed in 25 days. Using the KV-1S tank chassis, mass production of the SU-152 started in mid-February, 1943, and about 700 were produced until superseded by the ISU-152 in December, 1943. During combat, it was found that the SU-152 was a great anti-tank gun that could take out a Tiger or Elefant tank destroyer with its 107 pound HEAT projectile. During the Battle of Kursk, the lack of roof vents led to crews passing out, so a later production model added vents and a hull machine gun.

During WWII, the German Wehmacht used a varity of truck types for their supply system. The most numerous were the 3-ton trucks, and of these many were the V3000S, produced at the Ford plant in Cologne. With the invasion of Russia, it quickly became obvious that tracked vehicles were vital if supplies were to be delivered. A solution was found to develop an add-on track system that could be bolted to the frames of different types of 3-ton trucks. When added to the Ford V3000S, it became the V3000S/SSM (Sd.Kfz.3b) Maultier. The Opel truck became the Sd.Kfza, and so on; they were all called Maultiers (German for mule).

History

The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. Designed for modern armored warfare, the M1 is highly mobile, well armed, and heavily armored. Features include a gas turbine engine usually fueled with JP8 jet fuel, composite armor, and separate ammunition storage in a blow-out compartment. Weighing nearly 68 tons, it is one of the heaviest main battle tanks in service.

The M1 Abrams entered service in 1980, replacing the M60 tank. The M1 remains the principal main battle tank of the United States Army and Marine Corps, and the armies of Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Iraq.

Three versions of the M1 Abrams have been deployed – the M1, M1A1, and M1A2, incorporating improved armament, protection, and electronics. The M1A3 is currently under development.